Lathe for turning irregular forms.



l. l. IVICCANN.

LATHE FOR TURNING IRREGULAR FORMS.

APPLlcATloM man :uw 21. 1915.

Patented Api. 3, 1917.

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.l. J. IVICCANN.

LATHE ros TURNING mnEGuL/m foams.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 27| l9|5 Patented Apr. 3,1917.

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JOHN J'. MCCANN, OF BURLINGTON, NEW JERSEY.

I LATI-IE FOB. TURNING IRBEGULAR FORMS.

Application tiled July 27, 1915.

rlurning Irregular Forms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in lathes, and more particularly to lathes for the purpose of forming sockets in artificial limbs.

It has for one of its objects to provide a lathe which will form a socket of the desired shape or` configuration in an artificial limb by using either the outer contour ofthe limb in which the socket is being formed as a pattern or employing a separate or independent pattern.

It has for a further object to provide a lathe in which the outer contour of the article being operated upon serves as a guide or pattern for the cutter operating thereon, whereby the contour of the socket being formed is similar in shape to the said outer contour of the article being operated upon.

It has for a further object to provide a lathe for forming the sockets in artificial limbs which is exceedingly simple, inexpensive, and durable in construction and which accomplishes its object expeditiously, easily, and quickly.

The invention consists of the several features and in the construction, combination, and arrangement of features as more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side view, in elevation, of a lathe construction in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2, a top plan view of a portion of the lathe; Fig. 3, an enlarged' detail view of the cutter-guide and operative connec-` tions.

ln the drawings, 1 represents the framework or supporting-bed of the lathe, adapted to carry the several operating parts, and

which is provided with legs 2.

A suitable supporting device 3 for the part of the artificial limb to be operated upon is provided, preferably at the left-hand end of the lathe, which is provided with a head 3a, suitable clamping members 4 and 5, and a shaft 6 for rotating the artificial limb is Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917..

Serial No. 42,151.

supported in standards 7 and is provided with driving Vpulleys 8 and gears 9 and 10.

A slidable carriage 11 is mounted on the frame-work of the lathe and is provided with vertical uprights 12, between which a frame 13 is slidably mounted, and a cutter 14e is operatively mounted in said frame. A counter-weight device l5 is supported on a standard 1G, and comprises a link 17, a cable or belt 18, pulleys l9,over which the cable runs, and a weight 20, attached tothe end of thecable or belt 18. The frame carrying the tool or cutter also carries the pulleys for driving :the: cutting tool, the power being transmitted from an overhead pulley (not shown), and as the cutting tool is raised or lowered in the operation of fashioning lthe leg-sockets the belt 17a transmitting this power becomes loose or tight. This is equalized by meansof a pulley 18b attached to an arm 18C resting against the belt at such an angle that the weight of the pulley takes up all such slack see particularly Fig. 5.

The cutter-guide 21 is mounted in an arm 22, projecting from a standard 23, extending upward from the carriage 11, 2l and 25 being levers pivoted to the arm 22 and connected together by means of a link 26. One end of link 24. is connected to the link 17 of the counterweight device, while one end of the link 25' has ashort screw-threaded shaft 27 mounted therein, which is connected to and bears on the cutter-guide, 28 being a roller in the lower end of said cutter-guide, adapted to engage the outer contour of an articial limb or other article.

rlhe counterweight device is preferably less than one-half the weight of the slidable frame 13 and is adapted to act as a counterweight and keeps the cutter-guide continually in intimate contact with the artiiicial limb or other article while it is being operated upon and relieves the pressure `caused by the weight of the slidable frame and allows the wheel 28 to have a freer movement than would otherwise be the case.

The action of slide 13, Fig. l, of itself is to cause pressure on the wheel 28. The natural -motion of slide 13 is downward, transmitting pressure equal to its own weight to lever 24, which transmits the pressure to lever 25 and wheel 28 downward to wooden model 3 of Fig. l.

If cable 18 and weight 20 were of greater weight than slide 13, it would operate to pull wheel 28 away from the model 3,- Fig. 1, and alsopress cutter 111 into the wood. But weight 20 is less than one-half the weight of slide 13. Teight 20 is used merely to relieve the pressure'caused by slide 13 and thereby allow a freer motion to the wheel 28.

Even on a wooden model or pattern the weight of the slide 13 alone and the pressure caused thereby on wheel 28 is sufficiently great to vindent the model 3 by the pressure exerted on wheel 28. Experiments have shown that the best and most accurate results can be secured by having weight 20 larg-e enough or heavy enough to relieve the pressure on the wheel 28 and at the same time secure a perfect Contact between the wheel 28 and the model or pattern 3.

It will be observed by the mechanism 'above described that the cutter-guide engages the outer contour of the artificial limb or other article and causes the cutter to produce a socket of a shape similar to the contour or configuration of the said part of artificial limb, and thereby it dispenses with the employment of a separate pattern.

The operation of the device is so obvious that it is not thought necessary to describe the same in detail.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the specific details of construction and arrangement of parts as herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as it is manifest that variations and modiiications may be made in the Y features of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and improvements.

' I therefore reserve the right to all such variations and modifications as properly fall withinthe scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim is-- 1. In a device of the character described, means for supporting and rotating a portio-n of an artificial limb, a longitudinally- Vslidable carriage, a standard mounted on said carriage provided with a lever, a laterally-extending arm on said standard having a lever connected to the first-mentioned lever and provided with an adjustable follower slidable in the end of said arm for engagement with the outer surface of the limb, a vertically-slidable frame mounted on said carriage and provided with a rotatable boring cutter, a second standard mounted on said carriage provided with pulleys, a cable or chain connected to one end of said slidable frame and to the lever on the firstmentioned standard, and running over the pulleys and having its other end provided with a weight which counterbalances the weight of the vertically-slidable frame and thereby relieves and equalizes the pressure caused by the weight of the slidable frame on the follower.

' 2. In a device of thc character described, means for supporting` and rotating a portion of an artificial limb, a longitudinallyslidable carriagel means for holding said carriage after adjustment, a standard mounted on the front of said carriage provided with a laterally-extending pivoted lever, a laterally-extending arm having a lever pivoted thereto, above the rst-mentioned lever, and connected therewith by a link and provided with a vertically-adjustable follower for engagement with the outer surface of thc limb slidable vertically in the outer end of said arm, a vertically-slidable frame mounted in guides extending upward from said carriage and provided with a rotatable boring cutter, a second horizontallypivoted standard on said carriage provided with a` cross-piece or arm having pulleys, a cable or chain connected at one end to the said slidable frame and to the first-mentioned lever by means of a link, and running over the pulleys and having its other end provided with a weight of such weight that it counterbalances the weight of the s'lidable frame and thereby relieves and equalizes the pressure on the follower.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. MCCANN. Witnesses:

HANNAH E. DovLIN, ESTELLA M. HUBBARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

